Ruth Ellis Center Holds “Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K Run/Walk” at FCA US Headquarters

• 5K walk/run on Saturday, August 29, 2015, at 9 a.m. on Company's vehicle test track 
• Proceeds will benefit REC’s mental health services, operations and Family Preservation and Acceptance program
• Registration is $40 per participant and free for children age 12 and under 

August 17, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Runners and walkers from all over the Detroit area will be taking over the vehicle test track at #fca US headquarters for the first ever “Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K Walk/Run” to benefit the Ruth Ellis Center (REC) on Saturday, August 29, 2015, at 9 a.m. The Ruth Ellis Center provides short and long-term residential safe space and support services for runaway, homeless and at-risk lesbian, gay, bi-attractional, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

Proceeds from “Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K Walk/Run” will benefit REC’s mental health services, operations and Family Preservation and Acceptance program. Registration in $40 per participant and free for children age 12 and under and includes a T-shirt and race time. Entertainment and refreshments will be available throughout the event for the entire family to enjoy.

It is estimated that up to 40 percent of all runaway and homeless youth in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ. Disproportionately affected, most often due to family rejection, these youth are at much greater risk of suicide, depression, substance abuse and HIV infection. This alarming statistic is the impetus behind “Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K Walk/Run.”   

“We are incredibly proud to partner with #fca US on such an important cause,” said Mark Erwin-McCormick, Director of Development at the Ruth Ellis Center. “We know that family rejection due to a child's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression puts young people at far greater risk of suicide, depression and substance abuse. Taking Strides for Healthy Minds is an opportunity to not only raise awareness, but also critical funding to support programs and services tailored to help families struggling with their child's identity.”

FCA US has been a longstanding supporter of the LGBTQ community and issues. The Company was a leader among U.S. employers in providing domestic partner benefits to its employees in 2000 and has achieved a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index nine times.

The Company has also supported REC through its employee resource group, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) at #fca US. GALA is one of six Employee Resource Groups at the Company that promote diversity and inclusion inside the Company and in the community.

“FCA US is honored to host the Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K in our own backyard, to show our support for the Ruth Ellis Center and bring attention to the crucial work they do for the LGBT community,” said Gregory Hawkins, an engineer at the Company who serves as president of GALA. “Speaking on behalf of LGBT employees at #fca US, we are very proud of what our Company has achieved in creating a work culture that is diverse, respectful and inclusive.”

To register for “Taking Strides for Healthy Minds 5K Walk/Run” visit:http://takingstridesforhealthyminds5k.brownpapertickets.com/

To learn more about Ruth Ellis Center and its programs visit: http://www.ruthelliscenter.org/.